Washington National Opera sues Kennedy Center seeking $17 million in withheld donations

The Washington National Opera has filed a lawsuit against the Kennedy Center, claiming it has been blocked from $17 million in donated funds.

The lawsuit comes six months after the opera company left the center in protest and amid a last-minute fight against an order to remove the president’s name from the building facade.

The Washington National Opera has filed a lawsuit seeking more than $17 million from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, alleging the institution has refused to turn over funds that belong to the opera company following their separation earlier this year. The post Opera Company Demands $17 Million From Kennedy Center in Explosive Lawsuit first appeared on Mediaite.

When President Trump took over the Kennedy Center, his people allegedly ignored a long-term agreement and seized millions of dollars from the Washington National Opera.That’s what the WNO alleges in a lawsuit against the center, filed Thursday in federal court. According to court documents, the WNO and the Kennedy Center had a contractual relationship for nearly 15 years in which operas were held at the venue in exchange for the center providing support services for the WNO, including managing donations.With the Trump administration’s takeover of the center, however, many of those services—including marketing, fundraising, and administrative tasks—ended in late 2025. When the WNO complained to the center, instead of fixing the issues, the center’s governance proposed ending the relationship in January 2026.The WNO then asked the center to return its $17 million in funds, which the agreement states belong to the WNO. But despite being contractually obligated to return the funds, the center still hasn’t returned them to the opera, and now the WNO is suing to get that money back.All of this comes as judge denied a last minute appeal from to keep Trump’s name on the center Friday. Now, Trump may follow through on his stated desire last month to hand over control of the center to Congress. Will he follow through, or try to defy the ruling?

The Washington National Opera (WNO) filed a lawsuit on Thursday, alleging that the Kennedy Center failed to return over $17 million in donations made to the organization after their split earlier this year. The WNO cited the Kennedy Center’s position as a federally chartered entity and membership in the Smithsonian Institution in its challenge, which...

The Washington National Opera, which left the center amid the Trump administration’s takeover, says its efforts to retrieve its endowment and other assets have been blocked.